In a large bowl, rinse and carefully drain 8 cups of mochigome rice multiple times until the water runs clear.

Cover with water and leave to soak for a minimum of 6 hours, to a day.

Drain the water out of the soaking rice, shaking to remove any excess water and let it sit to completely drain for 15 minutes. It's better to use a wooden sieve or metal colander vs. a plastic one.

Follow the instructions on your mochi maker and add two cups of water to the reserve area beneath the mochi maker bowl. Attach the bowl and stirring mechanism.

Add the thoroughly drained rice to the mochi maker bowl and even out the top so it's flat. Make sure the cover attachment is locked.

Set your machine on steam. It will automatically go to pound mode when it is ready and the grains of rice can be smashed with your finger.

Watch as the mochigome turns into a glutinous mass when it's pounding. When finished, turn out the big ball of pounded rice onto a table that has been sprinkled with mochiko (rice flour) to avoid sticking.

Very quickly, start forming the mochi into little patties by pinching off a small mound with your thumb and index finger.

You can add anko (sweet red bean paste) in the center for a special treat.

When you are ready to eat your mochi, preheat your toaster oven or oven to broil. Make a dipping sauce made up of 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of soy sauce mixed together.

On a tray lined with tin foil and sprayed with cooking spray, line up your mochi in rows so that you have at least in inch in between them. As they puff up, this prevents them from sticking to each other.

Cook until the mochi puffs up and gets toasty brown on the top. Do not be surprised if the mochi patties double in size and start melding into each other. You can always pull them apart later. Enjoy!

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Add the butter and break it up with your fingers, mixing it in with the flour mixture.

Add in 2 tablespoons of cold water and begin mixing the dough all together. If it needs more water, add a tiny bit more in, until it forms a crust consistency. Bring the dough into a ball shape, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take the dough out and place it on a cutting board that is lightly floured. Begin to knead the dough gently, forming it into a rectangle, keeping the edges even. Try to make sure you still have some flecks of butter visible in the dough.

Fold the top third of the dough down to the center, then the bottom third up and over that. Roll the dough out again, turning it vertically so that it reaches three times its length. Fold it in thirds again, cover and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, you can make the custard filling! Dissolve 1/2 cup of sugar into the hot water, in a large mixing bowl. Allow this to cool to room temperature. Thoroughly whisk eggs and evaporated milk together in a separate bowl and then whisk in the sugar water and vanilla.

Strain your egg mixture through a mesh strainer in order to get your mixture to a smooth consistency without bubbles. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out the dough and cut circles to fit your small aluminum tart tins. Press your dough into the tins to fill each one. Then fill them with the egg mixture, 3/4 of the way to the top. Place all of your tins onto a baking sheet and pop them in the oven!

Bake them for 15 minutes, reducing the temperature to 350 degrees and baking again for another 10-12 minutes, until the filling is just set. Let the tarts cool for a couple of minutes and enjoy them while they are warm!

Persimmon is a fruit native to Japan, China, Korea and Burma but is also grown in Northern California. A persimmon is reminiscent to an apple with a crisp texture, and it's color when ripe is a beautiful rich autumnal orange. This galette is perfect for the holidays!

Persimmon Galette

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Persimmon is a fruit native to Japan, China, Korea and Burma but is also grown in Northern California. A persimmon is reminiscent to an apple with a crisp texture, and it's color when ripe is a beautiful rich autumnal orange. This galette is perfect for the holidays!

To make the soup, bring the dashi to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, add mirin, soy sauce and salt. Bring to a boil again and then turn off and set aside.

Then, boil 3 cups of water and add the udon noodles. Make sure to separate them out while they cook. Once they are separated, remove them from heat and place in a bowl of ice water to prevent them from continuing to cook.

Place your broth in a bowl and ladle the noodles in slowly. Top your soup with sliced cucumbers, bonito flakes, sesame seeds, seaweed and green onion or anything else you want to add!

My grandma is famous for her breads... zucchini, pumpkin, banana you name it. But my personal favorite is her cranberry-orange bread. It's best served with a light sugary icing but her recipe doesn't call for it. Serve with a nice cup of tea!

Cranberry-Orange Bread

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My grandma is famous for her breads... zucchini, pumpkin, banana you name it. But my personal favorite is her cranberry-orange bread. It's best served with a light sugary icing but her recipe doesn't call for it. Serve with a nice cup of tea!

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter; set aside.

Place the flour, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps. Add the orange juice, melted butter, egg, and vanilla and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Stir in the cranberries and nuts, if using, until evenly distributed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, pushing it into the corners and smoothing the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then turn the bread out onto the rack and cool completely.